Tag Archives: Facilities Management

The capital project request process has been in place since May 2011 and applies to remodeling, building additions, landscaping, or exterior site work. The Capital Project Request (CPR) Form begins the process and should be used for all new projects.

Based on customer feedback, the CPR form is a revised version that replaces the three separate forms that were required prior to the revision. The new digital form allows for electronic signatures as well as the ability to attach any supporting documents. The electronic process keeps all relevant documents together and allows for easy retrieval for project information, up to date tracking, and early notification of potential projects.

The electronic process also allows the documents to be shared electronically via email, and will eliminate the need to print hard copies to then circulate through campus mail for signatures. People out of the office are now able to electronically sign the documentation, saving the submitting department’s time and avoiding costly delays in the project. The new process eliminates hard copy documents and keeps the workflow from being lost or misplaced, which would require re-submission and result in a potential delay of the project.

The CPR form requires the approval from a department director or dean from the requesting department. Further, the financial requirements and indexes are requested up front which encourages the customer to think about budgets and timing. This requirement guarantees that the project has been vetted and that the estimated cost has been discussed and approved.

Finally, a section at the end of the form allows for notes to be added to help track the process or describe any changes that occurred during the process.

The hiring team at Michigan Tech’s Facilities Management department has developed a Student Wage Matrix to improve the hiring of student employees consistently across the department.

There had been some disparity between student wages in Facilities with little documentation or standard guidelines regarding student employee wage rates based on the students’ skills, experience, and their job tasks within facilities management. There was no consistency within internal departments, and Facilities was unable to track student performance long term. With the problem identified, the hiring team looked to best practices being implemented by peers in other departments on campus and at other Universities. As a result, the process drew heavily from similar guidelines used by the University of Missouri and Western Michigan University.

The benefits of having an established student wage matrix include:

Consistency: The wage matrix establishes standardized job descriptions for student employees that are intended to eliminate multiple job descriptions for the same employee classification which will improve record keeping as well as aid in decision making when hiring a student.

Accountability: The wage matrix provides a foundation for managers to determine wages depending on personality characteristics and employment competency levels. It’s also a tool for managers to use in maintaining decision documentation during the hiring and advancement processes.

Equity: The wage matrix ensures that student wages are consistent with that of other personnel, staff, or fellow students and improves the overall team dynamic.

Flexibility: The wage matrix takes into account changes in the State and Federal minimum wage rate, and pay ranges are rooted in a non-monetary minimum wage rate with only wage rate increases being monetized.

The hiring team also wanted to have a consistent and transparent set of guidelines for student employees. They created a student employment agreement that outlines minimum expectations for the student employees, specifically as related to the dress code, mobile electronic devices, tardiness/absences, and similar common workplace standards.